What Construction News Was Circling The Web In July? A Round-Up of 8 Popular Articles.

31 July 2017

Some interesting findings throughout July revealed from Melbourne CBD as Australia’s most densely populated region to the announcement of the Lendlease-led Consortium’s winning bid to build the Metro Tunnel project.

For a round-up of current construction news circling the web, follow the links below:

Twenty-five extraordinary developments from around the world have been selected as finalists for the Urban Land Institute’s (ULI) 2017 Global Awards for Excellence.

Recognised as one of the land use industry’s most prestigious award programs, this year’s finalists include three located in Asia, two in Europe, and 20 in North America.

The finalists were selected by an international jury made up of ULI members representing a multidisciplinary collection of real estate development expertise, including finance, land planning, development, public affairs, design, and other professional services.

International Construction Market Survey Reveals US City As World’s Most Expensive

Turner & Townsend have released the findings of their 2017 International Construction Market Survey (ICMS) – an analysis of the average construction costs per square metre for both commercial and residential projects across all 43 regions and cities.

Despite a slow start to the year, the second half of 2016 saw confidence return to the global economy. Europe and China exceeded economists’ growth expectations, and commodity prices have increased, but political uncertainty persists and several markets remain in recession or near-recessionary conditions as poor productivity continues to be a hindrance to further economic growth.

Healthcare facilities are characterized by constraint, required to organize complex systems, services, movements and processes. Disrupting existing models of practice necessitates that we find new ways of responding to old problems. Plenary Health led the project team that delivered this challenging project and asked a bold question: what happens when you invite a healthcare newcomer into your design team?

What Actually Is A Good City?

Our cities have now been named as the saving places of a planet in crisis. And yet we cannot decide on the principles that make for a good city. Everybody has a view, but some views are more sustainable than others.

What we desperately need is a big and general public dialogue about the principles that make for a good city.

New Research Suggests Cold-Formed Steel Could Frame Future High-Rises

The results of a new engineering feasibility study from the Steel Framing Industry Association (SFIA) suggests that the structural integrity of cold-formed steel could make it a viable framing alternative in the construction of high-rise buildings.

The new study commissioned by the Steel Framing Industry Association grew out of the trend toward taller building that is transforming urban skylines that is driven by higher land costs and the gravitation of both young and older residents to urban centers.

The Cross Yarra Partnership (CYP) – a consortium led by Lendlease Engineering, John Holland, Bouygues Construction and Capella Capital – has been selected to build the Metro Tunnel and five new underground stations.

Premier Daniel Andrews joined Minister for Public Transport Jacinta Allan to announce the decision: “We’ve chosen the design, we’ve chosen the builders and we’re getting on with it.” he said. The decision follows an extensive competitive tender process with the world’s most experienced construction and tunnelling contractors.

My Top 5 City Changing Projects

The amount of construction in Melbourne’s central city is reaching fever pitch with a number of large scale towers either topping out or rising out of the ground, forever changing the face of the city. But that’s not what today’s article is about. Instead Laurence Dragomir focuses on five city changing projects which direct the eye to the street rather than the sky.

Melbourne CBD Australia’s Most Densely Populated

Newly released Census data highlights the rapid densification of Melbourne’s CBD where the number of residents per square kilometre has more than doubled over the past decade.

The 2016 Census has revealed the most densely populated SA2 region in Australia is now Melbourne, with the 2.4 square kilometre region home to 37,754 residents, equating to 15,754 residents per square kilometre. While Melbourne has taken out the highest ranking for population density, eight of the top ten regions are located around Sydney’s inner city.